"nd yet this is only an issue because I'm willing to spend my Saturday teaching 1st generation college kids (some of whom can barely speak/write English) how to use computers so that they can get themselves better jobs."

And that somehow makes you less selfish, less ungrateful, and less smug about your own abilities, moral worth, and the lack thereof of other people? Take a hike, Pinkerton.
You have no concept of being in it together. It's all about you. Everybody else is terrible. You've already made it clear you think you're hot shit. I'm really getting tired of it.

.....because they know their contract, and applicable labour laws inside out. Because they know the arbitration history regarding like grievances.

They had better know these things because it won't be one-on-one with similarly unprepared dilettantes.

The COMPANY will not be stupid OR fair.

^gf.

You seriously argued for making MA a right-to-work state just because of your need to "blow off steam". You're a disgrace. Do you know how fucked workers are in those states? How can you even look at yourself in the mirror?

"Teachers unions fight for smaller classrooms, better facilities, better equipment, more school supplies, more elective programs for students, and in general safer school environments."

Can faculty senates not do this?

"Studies have shown that students in unionized districts do better along all dimensions than students without."

For colleges as well?

"You seriously argued for making MA a right-to-work state just because of your need to "blow off steam". "

No. I said it would be more convenient if the state I was living in was RTW, rather than moving to one that already was.

"How can you even look at yourself in the mirror?"

With my eyes. I can explain optics to you, if you'd like.

Faculty senates are servile puppets of administrations, which is why they do nothing to oppose the corporatization of education across the country.

"For colleges as well?"

You were bashing teachers unions in general.

"No. I said it would be more convenient if the state I was living in was RTW, rather than moving to one that already was."

Oh right, that somehow makes it better. It'd be more 'convenient' for you if the whole of MA had fucked over workers. Great.

"You have no concept of being in it together. It's all about you. Everybody else is terrible. You've already made it clear you think you're hot shit. I'm really getting tired of it."

I'm in it together with my students when they're placed in courses they aren't prepared for and I help them through it by spending hours of unpaid time a week working with them so they can succeed. I'm in it together with my coworkers when I stay late and help them set up their poorly funded labs. I'm in it together with the college as a whole when I try to get skilled professionals to come give lectures and companies to recruit the students.

So what if I don't like my inefficient, bureaucratic union that's a subsidiary of some giant agricultural union out west that doesn't give two shits about students in an inner city?

"So what if I don't like my inefficient, bureaucratic union that's a subsidiary of some giant agricultural union out west that doesn't give two shits about students in an inner city?"

Yeah so what if you want to install Alabama-style labor laws on the whole state because of your own personal situation. That you bash teachers unions across the board because you think you're better than everybody else and could negotiate a better salary for yourself. And that you want to stab in the back people across the country who have been sacrificing many more 'unpaid hours' trying to unionize their workplaces despite employer intimidation.

And thanks for the latest installment of how you're teacher of the year. Like we needed another one.

"And thanks for the latest installment of how you're teacher of the year. Like we needed another one."

So, you assassinate my character and then mock me when I provide counterexamples? Interest tactic.

It's assassinating your character to recite what you just said back to you?

Interesting definition.

You called me a scab and a Pinkerton even though I'm a member of a union...

Also, I haven't said a single thing about being better than anyone else. Teaching is a highly skilled profession, which is why I don't understand why a union is necessary.

I think the personal attacks by Putin warrant a silencing...

lol

Putin could be the biggest douchenozzle in the world and I'd still take his side in a mod matter if he was right.

Oh, and Putin's just bitter because he lives in a right to work state and needs the union to protect his incompetent ass, but knows they will all die here in Ohio soon enough from lack of membership.

they don't warrant any mod action; his own cause for which he's arguing is punished enough by its substandard representation in this discussion

"You called me a scab and a Pinkerton even though I'm a member of a union..."

You don't want to be a member so why should I be impressed? This whole thread is about you resenting your "useless" union membership and yet you use it to prop yourself up. You want to turn MA into a right to work state and destroy unions in your state and I should think you're not a scab? Get real.

"Also, I haven't said a single thing about being better than anyone else."

This whole thread is about you being better than everybody else.

"Teaching is a highly skilled profession, which is why I don't understand why a union is necessary."

Because you take your head out of your rearend long enough to realize what teachers unions actually do, and that the persistent pauperization and proletarization of skilled professions like teachers and nurses makes unions necessary.

"I think the personal attacks by Putin warrant a silencing..."

Irony.

"Oh, and Putin's just bitter because he lives in a right to work state and needs the union to protect his incompetent ass"

I've never had the privilege of being in a union. I've worked very hard with GESO trying to get grad students unionized, because they work long hours for shit pay and no benefits and many have families. Not that you keyboard commandos who play video games during the workday would know anything about that.

"You don't want to be a member so why should I be impressed?"

Being a member of something gives me the right to complain about how it operates.

"This whole thread is about you being better than everybody else."

No. This thread is about being annoyed I'm paying for something and not feeling like I'm getting something in return.

"Because you take your head out of your rearend long enough to realize what teachers unions actually do, and that the persistent pauperization and proletarization of skilled professions like teachers and nurses makes unions necessary. "

You have my thanks for enlightening me on the subject.

"Being a member of something gives me the right to complain about how it operates."

This isn't complaining, this is sabotage. This is helping the enemy destroy not only your union but all unions because you're the not the center of their universe.

"This isn't complaining, this is sabotage. This is helping the enemy destroy not only your union but all unions because you're the not the center of their universe."

By complaining on a Internet forum? I know you think I'm the shit, but I'm not quite that powerful.

You somehow think that openly calling for the destruction of unions in your state is merely "complaining" about how your union operates. No, not even close. You're an enemy mole inside a labor organization.

And seeing as how you brag about your work ethic, I can safely assume that simply bitching about this on webdiplomacy to a bunch corporate bootlicking libertarians who applaud and flatter you is not he only action you're taking.

"Yeah so what if you want to install Alabama-style labor laws on the whole state because of your own personal situation."

You mean the state where auto manufacturing plants still get built, instead of getting shut down? Nor are these crappy jobs.

@Putin

I feel like you may actually be upset by this, so let me assure you: bitching on this forum was the only action I planned on taking and foresee myself ever taking on this issue.

What do I care, really? I have an amazing full-time job and I do this on the side when I have time because it's fun and I like helping the students. I was annoyed when I had to pay someone that wasn't helping me, so I made a post about it, which is literally the least impactful thing I can think of.

Although, I am quite flattered that the thought of me going after unions has gotten you so riled up. : )

I mean the state where auto manufacturers openly harass and intimidate workers for trying to exercise their free speech to talk to co-workers about unionization, and the state doesn't do shit about it. I'm talking about auto plants that widely use temporary workers, who have no regard for workplace safety, and do not give workers any voice about workplace issues.

The same conditions apply to Ohio, where Honda is king in my region and widely uses temporary workers and intimidates workers for daring to talk about unionizing.

But somehow free-speech loving conservatives don't give a damn about workplace intimidation.

Depends on the type of intimidation. Link?